National Council on Aging states 1 in 10 Americans aged 60 or older have suffered and are suffering from elder abuse. The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) has broadly identified seven forms of elder abuse. When one knows the different forms of elder abuse they can help protect the elderly from the ill treatments they have been receiving in large or subtle forms.
Elder abuse is not limited to only physical and emotional abuse. NCEA identifies 7 major types which include sexual and financial abuse. Trusted individuals are most of the time the real culprits but certain times even elders can mistreat themselves by neglecting their needs constantly.
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) states that out of all the abuses, the elders are more likely to self-report financial exploitation. Elders refrain from reporting the emotional, physical, and sexual abuse or neglect, especially to protect their loved ones or out of shame. Neglect is reported as the most common type of elder abuse by the NCEA.
Physical abuse can be seen and can lead to unfortunate injuries and even death thus they are taken more seriously than others. They are easier to identify compared to other abuses. When any powerful person intentionally harms the elderly either in a subtle way or bigger way and even those who are spectator to such events all are considered abusers.
NCEA states the 7 main types of elder abuses are Physical abuse, Sexual abuse, Emotional or psychological abuse, Neglect, Abandonment, Financial abuse and Self-neglect. Elder abuse has devastating consequences regardless of what type of abuse it is. It is important for elderly and their family or friends to recognize these forms of abuse to put a stop to the nuisance. If needed legal steps need to be taken to save the elders from such vulnerable situations.
